Osteospermum plant named ‘Aksinto’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Aksinto’, characterized by its compact and mounding growth habit; very uniform plant habit; freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per plant; light lavender ray florets and blue purple disc florets; short peduncles, flowers held just above and beyond the foliage; and good high temperature tolerance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofOsteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Aksinto.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Aabyhoj, Denmark. The objective of the breeding programwas to create new Osteospermum cultivars with interesting ray floretcolors and heat-tolerance.

The new cultivar originated from a cross made by the Inventor of aproprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number9631 as the female, or seed, parent and the Osteospermum eckloniscultivar Dondo, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.09/291,104, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum wasselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of thiscross in a controlled environment in Aabyhoj, Denmark, in 1996.

Plants of the new Osteospermum are less spreading, have smallerinflorescences and shorter peduncles than plants of the female parent,the selection 9631. Plants of the new Osteospermum are more compact,have shorter peduncles and have lighter lavender ray florets than plantsof the male parent, the cultivar Dondo.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings at Aabyhoj,has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Aksinto’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Aksinto’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact and mounding growth habit.

2. Very uniform plant habit.

3. Freely flowering with numerous inflorescences per plant.

4. Light lavender ray florets and blue purple disc florets.

5. Short peduncles, flowers held just above and beyond the foliage.

6. Good high temperature tolerance.

The new cultivar can be compared to the Osteospermum cultivar Cape DaisyCongo, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,342. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new cultivardiffer from plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Congo in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Osteospermum have a more compact, mounded anduniform plant habit than plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Congo.

2. Plants of the Osteospermum have shorter internodes, more leaves andare more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Congoand are therefore denser and bushier.

3. Plants of the new Osteospermum are much more freely flowering,especially during the summer, than plants of the cultivar Cape DaisyCongo.

4. Plants of the new Osteospermum have a larger disc diameter thanplants of the cutivar Cape Daisy Congo.

5. Plants of the new Osteospermum have shorter peduncles than plants ofthe cultivar Cape Daisy Congo.

The cultivar Aksinto has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Aksinto’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescence buds, individual ray florets, inflorescences and leaves of‘Aksinto’ (left) and ‘Cape Daisy Congo’ (right). Foliage and floretcolors in the photographs may appear different from the actual colorsdue to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plants ofthe new cultivar grown in Encinitas, Calif., during the spring in apolyethylene-covered greenhouse. During the production period, daytemperatures ranged from 16 to 21° C., night temperatures ranged from 10to 16° C., and light levels were about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants werepinched (terminal apex removed) one time. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages for typical flowering plants grown inone-gallon containers with two plants per container; plants used fordescriptions and the photographs were about 19 weeks old.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Aksinto.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonisidentified as 9631.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Dondo, disclosedin U.S. Plant Patent application Ser. No. 09/291,104.

Propagation:

Type.—By terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 18° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 21 days at 18° C.

Root description.—Fibrous.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant. Compact,round and mounded plant habit; upright to spreading. Very freelybranching, about 16 lateral branches developing after pinching; verydense and bushy.

Crop time.—From planting rooted cuttings, about 14 to 19 weeks arerequired to produce a finished, flowering plant in a one-galloncontainer.

Vigor.—Vigorous.

Plant height, to top of inflorescence plane.—About 24 cm.

Plant spread.—To outer leaves, about 35 cm; to outer inflorescences,about 40 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 7 cm to 13 cm. Diameter: About4 mm. Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Texture: Glabrous; woody at base.Color: 146B.

Foliage description.—Leaves alternate, single. Length, fully expandedleaves, basal: About 4.25 cm. Width, fully expanded leaves, basal: About8 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate, sessile.Margin: Entire with occasional minute teeth. Aspect: Mostly flat.Texture: Somewhat coarse, tough, glandular; very sparse pubescence onupper surface. Fragrance: Moderately pungent; herb-like. Color: Youngfoliage, upper surface: 137B. Young foliage, lower surface: 137C. Fullyexpanded foliage, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lowersurface: 147B. Attenuated leaf base: 147B. Venation, upper and lowersurfaces: 147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Daisy-type composite inflorescence form; actinomorphic.Single inflorescences displayed just above or beyond foliage, upright tohorizontal on long peduncles arising from leaf axils. Disc and rayflorets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Very freely flowering,typically about 105 opened and opening inflorescences per plant.Inflorescences last about one week. Inflorescences persistent.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuously from April to October inthe Northern Hemisphere.

Fragrance.—Faint spicy fruit scent.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height): About 1.5cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.2 cm.

Inflorescence buds (at stage of showing color).—Length: About 1.8 cm.Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 83C.

Ray florets.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Ligulate.Apex: Broadly acute; very slightly tri-dentate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire. Aspect: Horizontal to upright; slighty reflexing withdevelopment. Texture: Smooth, velvety. Number of ray florets perinflorescence: About 24 in two whorls. Color: When opening, uppersurface: Base and apex, 77B; midsection, 75B to 75C. When opening, lowersurface: Soft alternating longitudinal stripes of 77C to 77D, 74D and79C. Fully opened, upper surface: 77B to 77C; fading to 75C withsubsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: Ground, 76C, tingedwith 74D.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; five-lobed, fluted at apex. Number of discflorets per inflorescence: Numerous, about 94. Length: About 9 mm.Width: About 2 mm. Color: Immature: Base, 145D; apex, 93A. Mature: Base,87B; apex, 93A.

Phyllaries.—Shape: Ligulate, narrow. Length: About 1.4 cm. Apex: Acute.Margin: Entire; membranous edges. Quantity and arrangement: About 20 ina single whorl. Color: upper surface, 146C; lower surface, 146A.

Peduncle.—Length: Terminal peduncle, about 7 cm; third peduncle, about10 cm. Aspect: Moderately strong; inflorescences held above foliage.Primary peduncles, about 45° to vertical. Texture: Smooth. Color: 146A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Stamens:Five. Anther shape: Elongated, oblong. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anthercolor: 83A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 23B. Gynoecium: Presenton ray and disc florets. Pistils: One. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigmashape: Bipartite. Stigma color: 83A. Style length: About 4 mm. Stylecolor: 83C. Ovary color: 145A.

Seed.—Seed development has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Osteospermum hasnot been observed on plants of the new Osteospermum.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plantnamed ‘Aksinto’, as illustrated and described.